The Island: Birth of the Ultimate Ryttare
by NumberZero41
Summary: Neida Trotter was born and lives in a tribe on the Island as a Ryttare: one who shares a special bond with a dinosaur. She faces many challenges and hardships just to find out that she is one of the very few "Ultimare Rytarres" on the entire Island. She is unsure of what fate lies ahead of her or what her title means, but she has no choice but to find out.
1. The Ryttare

Ello! Quick heads up before you start reading!

Obviously, this is based off the game Ark: Survival Evolved. There are some aspects of the story, such as terrain shapes and actions, that are edited to fit the story and may not be in the game.

Also, this first Chapter is more of a introduction to the story. It gives some background information of the story for the most part and towards the end starts the story itself. This chapter will most likely be seen as the first boring chapter. You don't really have to read the first half of this chapter, but I would suggest it if you want to understand events and such used in later chapters.

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 **"Wake up Nei!"**

My eyes squinted open, my vision hazy and blurry from my half-asleep state. I felt a sudden impact against my stomach, nearly taking my breath away. I coughed a few times before opening my eyes completely, looking up from my bed to see a young, feminine face leaning over me. A few strands of her light brown hair fell from her shoulders, brushing across the end of my nose. Her dark blue eyes gleamed with amusement and excitement.

I pushed her back away from me, sitting up and laying my knees across the floor. My bed was very close to the ground, as every other bed around me, so my legs bend to the sides when I put my feet down. I stood and stretched out my arms, looking down at the girl who had woke me.

 **"Hurry up and get ready! You promised me a ride today!"** The little girl then turned and ran out of the small wooden house, not bothering to close the door behind her. The light somewhat blinded me, but I still walked towards the door anyway.

The land that I saw in front of me wasn't one that was unfamiliar. An open meadow, one full of multiple forms of flora, all growing different kinds of berries. Wooden houses scattered across the field in no particular arrangement. Large trees towering over the land all around, some large and covered in vines, others very thin and weak. This was the home of the Tala Tribe, 'Tala' being another word for green, though no one really knows where the name came from. Our tribe was named, in general, after the large, floating obelisk that the tribe is build around. It can be seen from nearly the other side of the entire island and it's fluorescent glow can light up the night. The part of the tribe that I live in isn't directly around the platform that the obelisk hovers over, though. Only the higher ups of the tribe live there while the rest of us build our homes in the land surrounding. Most of our houses are small, since our families don't usually get that large very often. My family has four members, which is seem as a somewhat bigger family, but ours wasn't the largest in the tribe. My family consisted of me, my mother, my older brother, and my younger sister, who was the one to wake me up. Everyone has their own unique name, but every family has a name after their first that is used to identify when multiple people are related. In my family there is my mother, Lorinda, my brother, Emery, my sister, Cicely, and me, which my name is Neida. Our "family name" is Trotter.

We aren't the only tribe on the Island. There is the Azul Tribe, which lives around the blue obelisk, and the Rubrum Tribe, who lives at the red obelisk. Each tribe has a Chief, who is the wisest and usually the oldest in the tribe. Usually, at least in my tribe, a lot of the families that live in the tribe came from the Chief. The sons of the chief have the option to either change their family name whenever they get married or keep the name of the Chief. The daughters of the Chief usually end up taking on the family name of the man that they marry. In my tribe our Chief's name is Demarcus Baron and he has had many children, though I've never known who all of them are.

In the case of my family, our family name came from my father. His name was Darius Trotter and he gave his family name to my other and to me and my older brother. Before my younger sister was born, my father had disappeared, believably attacked by a raptor while out hunting, so he didn't directly give the name Trotter to my sister, but my mother gave her the name in honor of him.

It isn't very often that there is a family with no father or man in general to take care of it and represent it, but my brother Emery was old enough to be considered the man of the house when my dad vanished.

Either way, our tribe has different jobs that get assigned to everybody who is old enough. Hunting, building, gathering materials, exploring the lands around us that we haven't been to before, searching for new or hidden dinosaurs, stuff like that. Nobody has one specific job, so everyday the people will be assigned a random task for the day. The men can do any of those jobs and can be assigned any one of them without consideration. The women can have a choice. Women can either do the same jobs if they feel up to it, or they can stay in the tribe and work on more calm jobs, like harvesting berries and fiber, crafting clothes, helping make weapons. The boy children of the tribe usually are trained to do the same jobs as the men, but don't leave the tribe limits. The girls help the women who have the calmer jobs. The age you have to reach before you can do the bigger jobs is 16 and I am 18, so I have been doing the same jobs as the men for two years now. But there is something that I haven't discussed yet...

There is one particular title given to certain members of the tribe, myself included. They are called the Ryttare, or 'rider'. Dinosaurs are used in the tribe to help do our jobs. Most of the time the dinos we use are herbivores like parasaur, pachys, trikes, and the like. People don't have to be a Ryytare to use a dinosaur, usually one can be given to them or they can tame one themselves. But the Ryttare are special. They don't just go out, knock out the dinosaur, give it food and be its owner. They form a bond with their dinosaur, one that only they can share with it and only it can share with them. The typical dinosaurs that anyone can use are the herbivores, but anyone who manages to "tame", or form a bond, with a carnivore is seen as a Ryttare. Both me and my mother are two of the Ryttare in the village. There are many others, but most of the others formed bonds with herbivores, my mother included. My mother formed a bond with a dark blue female Pachy that she calls Dalia when she was very young and they have been together ever since. Me, I'm seen as one of the special cases.

When me and Emery were younger and Cicely wasn't around, he was a trouble-maker and loved sneaking out of the tribe limits. I didn't like to disobey what my mom said, but there was one time when I followed him to make sure he didn't get hurt. He had found an egg at the edge of the jungle that was moving and small chirps could be heard inside. When the egg made a cracking sound in his hand, he jumped and ended up dropping it. I had been standing next to him, so I tried to catch the egg when it fell. I had put my hands out and a part of the egg did fall in my hands, but the rest smashed. I felt something moving against my hands and when I looked, there was a baby dinosaur in my hands with an egg shell on its head. It squealed and tried to squirm, but I held onto it. I removed the egg shell and came face-to-face with a white, pointed face with large orange eyes and little feathers on its head. It had tiny hands and a few feathers on its tail. I didn't know at the time, but this was a baby raptor. We locked eyes and apparently, since I was the first thing he saw as he hatched, the raptor connected with me. The tribe flipped out when they found out that not only had two kids left the limits but also found a raptor. When they tried to take the raptor from me, I didn't let them get near him. I constantly watched over him, and when he could walk he followed me everywhere. Everyone saw that as a sign that I was a Ryttare, like my mother.

I changed from my simple cloth sleeping clothes into my hide ones that I had made myself before exiting the house. When I turned the corner of the building, a pure white raptor looked over at me, letting out a low call of greeting. I slid my hand across the feathers on his head with a smile, turning to look behind me. I saw Cicely running towards me with a large grin on her face before turning and instead running up to my raptor, Azir. She reached up to pet him but she was just barely too short to reach him, so he put his head down for her. She giggled before looking up at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes and walked around the other side of Azir to where I had my saddle hanging on the side of the house. I took off the brown saddle and hooked Azir up to it, which he was used to by now. I hefted myself up onto the saddle before putting my hand out. Cicely took it and I pulled her up, setting her on the saddle right in front of me. I held onto the reins while she held onto the saddle itself. I clicked with my tongue and Azir began to walk.

As we went passed a few houses there were some who waved to us, others who just glared in our direction. The majority of the tribe saw having a raptor, or a carnivore in general, in the tribe as a good thing, while others saw it as a threat or were jealous that they didn't have one themselves. I tried to ignore those that felt jealousy over me and my raptor. I had formed a bond with him fair and square. It wasn't my fault that they didn't have the same gift that I had.

We walked down the path that lead away from my house towards where one of the many large patches of ferns and bushes grew. These areas were used for all of the berry and fiber gathering, which my mother helped with. As we approached I could see my mother sitting on her legs next to a large bush. She had long brown hair that reached down to the middle of her back and regular cloth clothes on. When she heard us coming, she turned to look at us with light blue eyes and a smile. When we got there I helped Cicely down from the saddle before getting off myself. Lorinda stood from her position and approached us, caressing Cicely's face and moving some of her hair behind her ear. She looked up at me and chuckled to herself.

 **"What's so funny?"**

 **"You let little one hold you up to something you said again. You know she wouldn't expect rides if you didn't offer them, "** she stated, shaking her head. From behind the bush she was harvesting from came Daria, noticing Azir and trotting over. The two of them had gotten to know each other for a while now, even though she was older than he was.

 **"I don't really care and neither does Azir. I can give her rides until she is old enough to ride on her own. Maybe she'll end up being a Ryttare like us, "** I said, shrugging. I knew that there was a chance that what I said wasn't true. Ryttares can usually be seen and noticed at a young age, and while Cicely was young, she wasn't near the age I was when I found out I was one. By now there was a chance that she wasn't. It was rare for the Ryttare abilities to show themselves when the carrier is older, but it happened sometimes.

As we talked, the loud blaring of a horn cut through the air. We both looked over to where a few men had ran into the tribe. They looked worn out, but also scared.

In my life time there were quite a few events that had happened, though they were considered common to the tribe. Never once while I have been alive have we dealt with large predators attacking the tribe. Somehow I never thought that would happen anyway. There was no way that-

 **"Carnos! A pair of them! Spotted near the river! And they are coming this way!"**

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End of the first chapter! Remember that this is just the introduction. Also, just a little helper for some.

(Just saying. Some of the words I used came from different languages, some of which I don't really remember. Also, some of these words might be pronounced differently than I am pronouncing them, but this is just how **I** am saying them. If they are wrong then forgive me, but this is just the way that I read them so this is the way I'm going with.)

Neida: nay-duh

Cicely: si-selly

Ryttare: rye-tare

Azir: ah-zeer

Please leave a comment saying if you like it or not! I'd appreciate it!


	2. Orange Eyes of Curiosity

Real quick, before this Chapter starts, I have a question for any who have read the first chapter. Should I continue writing with Neida in first person or should I switch to 3rd? I wrote this chapter in the 3rd person, just to test which method I prefer, but I would also like the opinions of the readers. I'd be grateful for some feedback!

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 **"Carnos! A pair of them! Near the river! They're coming this way!"**

The shouting of the three soldiers echoed through the valley, bouncing off of houses and trees, reaching the ears of just about every presence in the field. Those in the fields began to retreat with their baskets full of berries, desperate for the safety of their houses. Dinosaurs stationed in the village suddenly became confused by the commotion, letting out calls of slight fear. Whether or not they sensed the presence of the carnos was unknown, but soon almost every dino in the village was on edge.

In one of the larger fields Lorinda quickly stood from her position on the ground, looking over at her two daughters with both frightened and slightly desperate eyes. **"Cicely, come with me. We need to get home, quickly!"** As she picked up her basket of berries, Daria, the dark blue Pachy, quickly came to the young girl's side, ushering for Cicely to get on her back. Daria then began to run towards the Trotter family house with the 7 year-old with Lorinda following behind. She then stopped and turned, looking at her oldest daughter. **"Nei...please be careful."**

As her mother turned and ran after the Pachy, Neida hurriedly ran down towards one of the larger wooden buildings in that part of the land, other young men and women alike going towards the same destination. As said before, it looked like a normal wooden building, except for the fact that it was larger, both in size and height. On the inside there were baskets, shelves, and chests full of different weapons, ranging from small knives up to heavy axes, with the addition of ranged weapons like bows. As Neida entered the building there were many others also coming through the door, attempting to grab any weapon they could. Luckily, Neida managed to snatch a bow, it luckily being the one that she favored. The main body of it was painted white, the string durable and strong yet easy for her too pull back. She snagged a quiver of arrows from one of the shelves before exiting the building. As she turned the corner she saw Azir running down the hill towards her, his feathers high on his head and his eyes alert. She quickly slid her foot into the side of the saddle and pulled herself up, swinging her other leg over and grabbing the reins.

She clicked her tongue multiple times and directed the white raptor in the direction of where the three soldiers from before had came in from. Out of the corner of her green eyes she could see other people also climbing onto their dinosaurs, mostly Parasaurs, Pachys, and Trikes. The tribe itself didn't have any high build walls made of stone or anything special to keep them protected, which in this case was a disadvantage. But they did have make-shift watchtowers build up surrounding the entire area they called home, as well as a basic spiked wooden fence barrier to connect each tower together and give better protection.

As the pair neared the "wall", Neida slid off of Azir's back, quickly getting into one of the towers and stationing herself at one of the balconies. The height of the towers may have been either at or around the same height of a carno, so when the carnivores came, Neida would most likely be face-to-face with them. She held her bow close to her body, her arrows right where she could easily reach them when the carnivores came into sight. She was kneeled down next to the railing, facing the dangerous jungle. She felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face and also knew that signs of fear may have been present on her face had anyone been next to her to see it. The young tribe-member had never faced something like this. Usually the tribe didn't face large carnivores, for they were mostly found deep in the jungles or where the forests were much more thick. Neida had heard many descriptions and seen many drawings of Carnotaurus before, but she had never seen one herself. She couldn't tell whether what she felt was excitement, anxiety, or fear, maybe a mix of all three. But she stayed perfectly still, searching for any movement in the trees.

It felt like an eternity had went by before there was finally a sign of life. Neida, and most likely every other archer in the towers, drew back the string of her bow, placing an arrow right where her sights her aimed. As she waited for the source of the movement to come out of the bushes, she felt multiple beads of sweat go across her, yet she attempted to ignore them. Her heart began to beat quicker as the anticipation built up. A few moments passed by as a figure came out of the jungle. Neida quickly pulled the bow back as far as she could and stared straight down her sights, just about to release the arrow when she realized that what came out of the jungle wasn't a Carno, but rather a Dodo bird. She relaxed her muscles and lowered the bow, not letting the arrow fly.

 **"Seriously..., "** she whispered to herself, still keeping her eyes alert but allowed her heart rate to lower. It seemed like the other archers had the same reaction, for no arrows flew at the fat bird. Once again it turned into a waiting game, one where patience was being tested in all of those who intended to protect the tribe. By the time there was any reaction from anyone else in the tribe, the sun was already high up in the sky. A familiar voice filled Neida's ears, one that she surprisingly didn't hear as often as one might think.

 **"Soldiers! Come out from the towers, but remain alert!"** Neida took the arrow away from her bow and slid it back into the quiver, securing the strap on her shoulder and standing, climbing down and out of the tower. As she exited the door, standing not to far away was a man, most likely in his early or mid twenties. He had short brown hair and light blue eyes, ones that would remind anyone of the sky or even ice. He was around the same size as an average man, slightly taller and well-built muscle wise. His jaw was hard and his eyes pierced through anyone that he looked at. Except for Neida.

She approached the man with a slightly determined look, stepping close to him with Azir at her side. **"Emery, is there really anything coming or were those soldiers exaggerating..?"**

 **"No, they spoke the truth. Two other patrols returned with the same information not too long after they did. There are indeed Carnos coming in our direction. When they would get here or if they would change course is unknown. We must be prepared, regardless."**

Neida looked up at her brother's face. Since they were younger he had grown into a strong soldier. He was brave, fearless, and held a sense of bravery that lacked in most of the other younger soldiers. The Tala Tribe was lucky to have him as one of their own and Neida was lucky to be able to call him her brother.

She felt a tug on her head from the side. When she turned her head, her white raptor was holding a small clump of her long, fire-orange hair in his mouth but was not biting down. He looked her straight in the eye, making a low and quiet whine. She reached up her hand and placed it on his forehead between his eyes, her eyes also locked with his. She softened her gaze, which in turn also caused his to soften as he let go of her hair. Neida then turned back towards the jungle, trying to imagine how these events would play out.

After the short-lived conversation with Emery, Neida climbed back up into the tower, leaving Azir at the door to keep watch. She went back up to her position in the tower, holding her bow close to her body and keeping the quiver near by. She stared out at the forest, once again searching for any signs of movement that may or may not be the carnos. She tried to think of what she would do whenever the carnos did show up, but as much as she did try to think about it, she had no plan. She had never been in a situation like this one, nor did she have very much carnivore experience under her belt. She knew how to interact with Azir and he was a raptor, but he didn't count since she had pretty much raised him and shared that special bond with him.

As she became lost in her thoughts, a sudden knock on the wooden wall behind her made her jump, her head snapping back to see a boy. It wasn't as much of a boy as it was just a young soldier. If she remembered correctly, he was one of the younger soldiers that was being trained by her brother. He had blue-gray eyes and short black hair, as well as a kind of childish face.

 **"Y-You're Neida...right?"** She nodded. **"Emery told me to give this to you."** The trainee soldier held out his hands, a small sack made of leather laid across his palms. As Neida reached for the bag, she instantly recognized and confirmed that it was Emery who had sent it to her. She ran her finger down the center of a pure white feather connected to the top of the bag, the memory that feather came from rushing back to her. She remembered trying to ride on Azir's back when they both were smaller. She had grabbed the feathers on his head thinking that they could be like the reins of a saddle. Azir tried to run and she rolled off his back, pulling one of his little white feathers along with her. Emery constantly reminded her of it when it happened. Now it just seemed like a distant memory, one that only brought Azir and Neida closer together.

She slightly shook her head, opening the top of the sack and peering inside to see a waterskin and a large leaf that was poorly wrapped around an object inside. She reached in and removed the waterskin first, hearing the light swish coming from inside when she would move it quickly. She took a large gulp out of the skin, cool and clean water running down her throat and getting rid of the dryness that she had never realized was there. She closed the skin and set it to the side before taking the leaf from the sack. She only chuckled, knowing that Emery had never been good at wrapping anything, whether it be with leaves , skins, or cloth. She unwrapped the leaf to find a smaller piece of cooked steak, the size hinting that it may have either came from a Dilophosaurus or a Dodo, and a little pile of berries, blue in color and covered in ridges. Azulberries had always been her favorite. While Emery may act hard and strict around other soldiers and the higher ups, he held a deep love for his family inside and remembered small details, even the favorite berries of Neida, Cicely, and Lorinda.

She picked up a few of the berries in her fingers and popped them in her mouth, biting down and letting the sweet juice cover her taste buds. She smiled and swallowed the berries, pushing them aside and tearing a piece of the steak away, putting it in her mouth and chewing. At that moment her green eyes happened to glance over to the soldier that had brought the food and water to her. She got an odd feeling when she realized that he had been staring at her with wide eyes, almost as if she were a rare dino that the tribe had never discovered before. Trying to ignore him, she swallowed down her piece of meat and looked towards the jungle, suddenly getting a feeling like she was forgetting something. She started to wonder why she was in that tower.

She heard shuffling behind her and peeked back to see that the soldier was leaving, finally. As soon as he left, she ate another small piece of the meat and a few berries before she finally remembered the task at hand. The carnos. Her alert raised in seconds, her hand quickly moving onto her bow and her eyes locked onto the darkness of the jungle. She watched for any signs of movement before continuing to eat the small meal that Emery had provided for her. By the time she was done the sun had already been as high as it could be in the sky and was starting to go down. All that time had passed, yet there was still no sign of the carnos.

Soon, she heard Emery's voice once again. **"Soldiers! Come down from the towers and gather!"** At that, Neida grabbed the waterskin and what was left of her steak, putting it in the hide sack and leaving the tower. As she walked out of the entrance, he was once again standing where he was before, only some of the soldiers in the other towers had came down to gather around him. **"The carnos have not appeared in our sights yet. I plan to send out a single patrol to see if they changed course or if they are nearby."** His light blue eyes locked with Neida's bright green. **"Neida, I am putting you in charge of the patrol once you pass those towers. The soldiers going with you will be ones with skill, so there shouldn't be much to worry about. Just be careful, "** he stated, assigning four other soldiers, only one other being female, to the patrol.

As Emery walked away, Azir walked over to Neida's side, nudging her arm with his nose. She looked over at him and slid her hand up his muzzle towards his feathers. **"I need you to stay here. I will call if I need you, "** she said with a calm voice, putting her forehead against his. He let out what some might consider a purr of sorts, the touching of their foreheads being a way as saying 'you are my partner'. Once they were done with their exchange, she put the hide sack with the white feather in the side of Azir's saddle, making sure she had her bow, the quiver, and also a knife if she needed it.

Neida then went over to the edge of the jungle, waiting for the other four soldiers to come behind her. Once they did, she signaled for each of them to move across the edge of the jungle, staying close but being able to see farther distances and also get to one another if there was any danger. The fire-haired soldier inhaled deeply before taking a step into the jungle. She had gone into the jungle before, mainly to gather materials, do some small-game hunting, and harvest berries that weren't inside the tribe limits. Despite that, this trek into the darkness was unfamiliar and felt much more unknown and dangerous than ever before. There was a chance that two large reptilians with two small horns on their heads would appear at any second, their mouths open and prepared to swallow up the soldiers.

Each step was taken very precisely, avoiding anything that could break and cause noise to come from under her feet. Her Parasaur-hide shoes were light against the foliage-covered ground and her eyes scanned the area in front of her before each move forward. She listened for the smallest of sounds, trying to determine whether or not anything was close. She could hear the occasional breath be exhaled, but she knew that it was merely the soldiers on either side of her.

The soldiers all continued to walk, staying aware of their surroundings completely. Eventually there was a small clearing up ahead of them, one that had few trees and allowed the smallest bit of sunlight into the darkness. Neida motioned to the others to go around it while she cautiously came to the edge of it. She peered around the small patch, trying to keep track of where she assumed her soldiers were. She took a single step into the clearing, checking around her. The clearing wasn't very large, green grass growing in the center with jungle leaves covering the ground, as well as a few ferns growing around the edges and in the center, small yellow and red berries growing from them. She took another step into the clearing. At that very moment, the second her foot touched the ground, she heard a loud stomp, felt the ground slightly shake underneath her, and a scream of terror. She could tell that the scream came from one of her soldiers, but the sounds echoed around her, the source of the scream difficult to determine. A second after she heard a thump, like an object hitting against a tree, and then a series of cracks as whatever it was hit the ground. Her green eyes flashed around her, searching for whatever had caused it. As she searched, she heard and felt the same thing that she had a few moments before, only slightly farther away. Her hand clutched her bow next to her, her arm bending back to grab an arrow and holding it next to the ranged weapon. She heard another exhaled breath, only this time it was deeper, raspier, and was unlike any human she had ever heard. She looked in the direction that the breath came from, only to see a pair of large orange eyes staring down at her. She couldn't see the face or the body or even the creature itself, but she could tell from where she was that there were large scales surrounding the eyes, scales that were a dark, faded red in color with a slightly gray tint to them. Her eyes were locked with that of the beast's for what seemed like a long time before she heard another scream. As much as she wanted to turn and run to the aid of her companions, she feared that whatever monster was staring her down would charge if she moved an inch. That, and she felt as though she was in a trance, unable to look away from the eyes even if she tried. Somehow, she saw something in them, something that she had only ever seen in Azir's eyes before. Emotion. Curiosity. This beast was either trying to figure out what she was or, possibly, trying to plan out how it would kill her. She lifted one of her feet and took a very slow step back away from the eyes. The orange eyes blinked, but the beast itself did not move. Another scream and multiple loud thumps against the ground were the signal for Neida to suddenly turn around and charge out of the clearing and back into the darkness. As bad of an idea that it was, that she knew it was, she still had to. Based on the number of screams she heard, there was most likely only one soldier left. She heard rapid footsteps coming in her direction, but they weren't the loud thumps. Rather, they were the other soldier, who hadn't seen her and ran right into her. The two collided and collapsed to the ground, Neida falling onto her side and the other soldier falling backwards onto their rear. When Neida went to look at the other soldier, she saw blood on the front of her hide top. She didn't feel any pain other than the slight ache from where the other soldier's head had hit her in the shoulder and her arm that she fell on. She then realized that the blood wasn't her's.

She looked up at the other soldier with wide eyes. It was a male, around the same age as her, with a dark green set of hide armor covering him, but the armor was ripped on the front, revealing torn skin below, covered and leaking blood by the second. She couldn't see the wound itself, but she put two and two together to realize that the blood on her was from him. She stood as quickly as she could and hurried to him, but she heard and felt a roar break through the forest, followed by many rumbling steps against the jungle floor. She turned to see what all of this commotion was about. Running towards the two of them was a light green Carnotaurus with brown markings covering its body and a set of angery yellow eyes. Its mouth was open, revealing sharp teeth, maybe around the length and width of her palm. The beast growled as it charged towards the two soldiers. Neida knew that it would be a hopeless fight, but she still grabbed onto her bow and aimed it right at the beast's head, trying to place her sights right between the eyes. As she readied to let the arrow fly, the green Carno was tackled by something, another large figure. Whatever had toppled into the carnivore had knocked it right off its feet, another loud roar erupting from one of the two figures. For a few seconds Neida watched as the two figures attacked one another, the green Carno at a large disadvantage as the other beast tore into its side. She then quickly turned around and grabbed the other soldier's arm, attempting to lift him up off the ground. Now she was the one at a disadvantage, for as she tried to lift him, not only was he much heavier than she was, but he had also fainted at the sight of the Carno running towards them. Her attempts had no successful results, no matter how hard she tried. She heard multiple roars of pain before she turned, seeing that the green carno had stood. It's side, face, leg, and arm was torn up, blood dripping down it and onto the ground, staining the green leaves below. The green Carno and its opponent stared at each other, low growls emitting from both of them. It wasn't until that moment that she realized that the beast the green Carno was fighting against was another Carno, one that was darker in color and slightly larger. The two faced each other with anger, but neither moved for a whole minute, both breathing quickly and showing their sharp, blood-covered teeth. Just as quickly as the battle between beasts had started, it ended, the green Carno letting out a very frustrated and angered snarl before turning and starting to limp away, going deeper into the forest.

Once the severely injured beast was out of sight, the other Carno turned its head to look at the two soldiers. When Neida looked at it, she recognized those orange eyes, the same ones that held emotion when she peered into them before. The ground slightly rumbled as the large monster turned and took a few giant steps towards the two of them. Her hand instinctively went to her side where her knife was hidden. If the beast were to attack, at least she may be able to leave a mark on it. But the beast was perhaps ten feet away when it stopped, staring down at the red-haired soldier and her unconscious companion. A few dots of sunlight came through the trees as a breeze blew through, the light shining down onto both the soldiers and the Carno. As far as she could tell, the Carno was a deep red and dark gray color, fading into a lighter gray at the undersides and around the jaw. She had been staring at this Carno in that clearing. Somehow she had a feeling that what she was staring at before was a Carno, but she had hoped that she was wrong and tried to convince herself otherwise. Now she knew that her thoughts had been correct. Woman and beast remained locked in each others' gazes, not moving a muscle except for the rising and falling of both of their chests and sides. Neida wanted to move, wanted to get away from the beast as fast as she could and get her fellow soldier to safety, but she couldn't.

The beast let out one last blast of air from its nostrils before turning and walking in the same direction that the other Carno had gone. Now that it was walking way Neida could see that the other Carno had managed to bite onto its tail, for there was blood dripping down the center of it. She could also see a slight limp, but not as intense as the limp that the other Carno displayed as it retreated in fury.

Green eyes watched as the beast walked away. Her heart beat began to slow down from its fast pace and the breath that she had been unknowingly holding was let out. _What...What was that...?_

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Here's the next chapter! It was at least a little more exciting than the first chapter and I did try to make it a bit longer as well. So what did you think, of the story itself, I mean. Should I write the rest of the story in 3rd person or go back to 1st? Please let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!


	3. Merilda the Seer

_In the last chapter I had asked which pov was preffered in this story, getting 3rd from myself and 1st from a fan. Just because I have too many ideas for this story at once, I'm just gonna put out as many chapters as I can before my ideas burn out. I will give a warning, though. There may be multiple chapters coming out right after the other at the moment, but that may not always be the case. I tend to lose muse a lot. But I have it right now and that's all that matters. Anyway, onto the story!_

* * *

I was in a daze. I couldn't think about anything else. My mind was filled with images of blood, two Carnos, the darkness of the jungle, and those orange eyes. The events played out in my head over and over as I sat with my back against a stone wall. At the moment I was at one of the many places that some of the higher soldiers met to discuss events, plans, or anything that had happened. I was sitting outside on the ground while some of the best soldiers in the whole tribe, including Emery, were inside talking about what had happened: the announcement of the Carnos' appearance, the patrol sent out, three soldiers seeming to disappear, another soldier with large wounds, and one final soldier who seemed to sport nothing but confusion and fear.

 _Highlighted green eyes stared as the red and dark gray Carnotaurus stalked away from the scene, blood dripping down to the jungle floor from a bite on its tail and a slash across its shoulder. The frozen soldier couldn't physically move her body from where she stood, an unconscious and bleeding soldier at her feet. It wasn't until the beast had disappeared into the shadows and the sound of its footsteps faded into the distance that Neida turned quickly and reached down, grabbing the soldier's arms and attempting to drag him back towards the tribe, since her attempt to lift him had failed. She had only dragged him for a short amount of time before two soldiers came to her aid, none of them being from the patrol she had led out. The two soldiers lifted the injured, carrying him back to the tribe by his arms and legs. Despite the fact that the man wasn't dead, she still felt as though his loss of blood and injuries were her fault. She followed quietly back to the tribe, not making mention of the sight she had witnessed just minutes before. When they arrived back at the tribe the injured man was quickly taken towards the center of the tribe, to the area directly around the Green Obelisk that represented the tribe. Neida had been ordered to go to the building she was at and report what happened. She told the higher-skilled warriors of how she heard screams and loud thuds, as well as heard a roar. She said that she had seen only one Carno running towards them when another beast had attacked it. She said she wasn't sure what the other one was, but it had defended her and her fallen comrade. She made no mention of the red and gray Carno, nor the face-to-face encounter that she had with it. Technically she hadn't lied, but she also didn't tell the whole truth._

I let out a sigh, staring at the ground. I honestly could feel the anticipation and a feeling of impatience growing in me the longer that the soldiers stayed inside that building, talking about me and about what I told them. I heard a door open, causing me to snap my head to the side to see Emery walking out of the building, followed by multiple other soldiers. I quickly got to my feet, standing in front of them at my full height, which was just about as tall as all of them except for a few. Some of the soldiers casted me a glance but proceeded to walk away without speaking. As some of the other soldiers walked away, I heard them tell Emery that he could tell me what they had decided while they went to arrange whatever it was. Emery now stood in front of me, giving me a look that I had seen before but at the moment didn't understand. _He doesn't think what I told them is true..._

At first he said nothing, just standing in front of me with that same look. I shifted my feet uncomfortably, which was unusual for me when in the presence of my brother. But this felt different. He let out a sigh before speaking in his deeper voice. **"We all decided that there will constantly be at least two soldiers perched in each tower. We have to keep an eye out for the injured Carno you told us about and for the other if it were to ever make an appearance. I would suggest you go home and let mother and Cicely know that you are alright."** He turned and began to walk way, but stopped and slightly turned his head, looking at her with one eye. **"When I see you later tonight...I expect you to tell me what actually happened, "** he stated bluntly, staring at me with slightly narrowed icy blue eyes before turning and continuing in the direction that the other soldiers had walked in.

I wasn't sure why, but I felt nervous. What he said they decided made sense, but his last comment seemed to strike a tinge of fear in me, one that I didn't want to admit was there. I looked down at the ground, knowing that he would keep bothering me until I told him. I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want to tell anyone about how a Carnotaurus, a carnivore that hunted men almost daily both for its own enjoyment and for a meal, had not only spared my life, but also protected me from another of its own kind. I couldn't even explain how or why it did what it did.

As I turned myself around and began going in the direction of home, I heard a familiar sound, almost like a growl, come from ahead of me. I looked up to see Azir walking towards me, his soft feathers flattened against his snowy white head and his eyes relieved, but also concerned. We stopped in front of each other, looking into each others' eyes for just a moment. I put my hand against his jaw, gently pressing my forehead against his and closing my eyes. I couldn't see it, but he had also done the same. If I could stand there in that exact spot forever I would have, but I couldn't. I pulled my head away and lifted myself up onto his saddle, taking hold of the reins and urging him up the path towards their house.

My thoughts clouded my entire mind as he walked. I wasn't even paying attention or steering him, but regardless he knew where to go. _Why...? Why had those Carnos eyes reminded me so much of Azir's...? I have never seen human emotion as clear with any other beast except for Azir, yet that Carno had showed pure curiosity and even put some sort of emotion into action by attacking one of its own...Why did it protect me..?_

Before long we were home. I didn't realize this until I felt a tug at my hide pants, causing me to get out of my thoughts. I looked down to see Cicely standing there, her hand against my leg and gripping onto my pants. I lifted my leg and climbed down from the white Raptor's saddle, turning to immediately have small arms wrapped around my torso. Cicely pushed her face into my stomach, refusing to let me go. I heard footsteps and looked up to find my mother also trotting towards me, wrapping her arms around my neck and letting out a long-held sigh of relief.

 **"Thank gosh you're safe, "** I heard her whisper as she held onto me, putting the bridge of her nose into the bend of my neck. I suddenly felt guilty. I had left these two members of my family by themselves for nearly the whole day, leaving them unaware of whether I was safe or if anything had happened to me. I wrapped my arms around both of them, trying to reassure them that I was okay. When both of them finally moved away from me, they both looked at me with expectant looks, ones that hid hints of both fear and anxiety.

 **"I will tell you in a minute. I want to get Azir's saddle off and get him fed first."**

They both nodded and walked back into the house, leaving me by myself once again with my companion. I turned to look at him, rubbing between his eyes with my fingers. I could tell that he knew something was wrong. His body was tensed ever-so-slightly and his feathers had rose, not to their full height, but enough to show that he sensed something. It didn't take me long to remove the saddle from his back and hang it over the side of the post made for that specific use. Azir had positioned himself next to the house as usual, but still stared at me in wonder. I didn't say anything, going into the house to find my mother standing near her bed and Cicely sitting on her's, both looking at each other before looking at me. I knew what they were waiting for, but I didn't want to tell them. I loved my mother and my younger sister, but I didn't think they would understand, or at least I don't think my sister would. As for my mother, there was a chance.

I turned and walked over to the corner where there was a large wooden container, one standing and had a door connected to the front. I opened the preservation box and reached in, grabbing an object wrapped in a large leaf and closing the door. Without a word I walked back outside, taking the step down from the door and turning the corner, Azir looking down at me as I appeared. I unwrapped the slab of meat that I knew to be a piece of Parasaur flesh, not quite fresh but also not near the point of rotting. I unwrapped the piece of uncooked steak and offered it to the white Raptor, watching as he quickly grabbed the piece of meat from her hand, chewing on it with sharp fangs and ripping it into pieces. I put my palm against the feathers on his head, letting out a sigh, which I found myself doing quite often anymore.

 **"I'm sorry bud. I didn't mean to not feed you yet today."** I looked up at the sky, realizing that the sun was beginning to rapidly fall, turning the sky many shades of yellow, orange, and red, as well as mixes of purple. I felt a rumbling in my stomach, which I already knew the cause of. **"I haven't eaten much either today..."**

Once Azir had eaten his meat I gave him one last pat on the head before turning and going back inside, closing the door behind me. I once again found my sister and my mother waiting for me. I approached them both, quickly shuffling Cicely's brown hair, and shifting my gaze over to my mom. I looked at my younger sister again and kneeled down so that I was at her height. **"Can you go outside for a minute. I want to talk to mom by myself."**

 **"But I wa-"**

 **"No Cicel. Please go outside. I'll tell you all about it when we are done."**

I could tell that she was hesitant and didn't want to, but she gave a frustrated huff and stood, walking outside to where Azir and now Daria were standing. Once she was gone I looked at Lorinda, allowing my face to show concern. She took note of this, sitting on her bed and waiting for me to do the same. I walked to her and sat down on the bed that Emery used when he came around, interlocking my hands and fiddling my fingers.

 **"Mom...we are both Ryttares...right?"**

 **"Yes but why does that-"**

 **"Do Ryttares only bond with one dinosaur?"**

At first she remained silent, trying to figure out why these questions about their "title" was being asked. **"The Ryttare can feel small connections between almost all dinosaurs, but they can only truly bond with one. Why?"**

I looked at her, wondering if I should tell her. She was a Ryttare, she had to understand. But I was one myself and had no clue what I was facing or feeling.

 **"I...out there...I saw something...something that makes me question what I thought to be true."**

She looked at me, questioning in her eyes.

 **"I...I saw the Carnos...I came face-to-face with one of them."**

Before I could even continue my mother stood, rushing to me and patting my shoulders, arms, face, anything she could. **"Are you alright?! Did it do anything to you?! What happened?!"**

 **"Mom please calm down, I'm fine. But the Carno didn't do anything to me. I faced it twice and it didn't do anything. The second time it...it saved me."**

My mother's face went from scared and worried to confused and puzzled.

 **"The rest of the patrol except for me and one injured soldier were gone. When I found him he was being chased by the other Carno when he fainted. The Carno was about to attack us...but the other one ran into it and attacked it before it could get to us. When the other Carno left the one that saved me had walked over and was staring at me. It didn't do anything, didn't move. It just stared. Then it walked away."**

My mother didn't seem to understand at all. She looked down at the ground, trying to figure out what this could mean. She stood from where she was kneeled over, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the four beds. I wanted to stop her, but even I was trying to figure out the answer. It was whenever she turned and started to walk towards the door that I jumped up and grabbed her arm. **"Mom please don't tell anyone! I want to try to figure this out on my own. That and the other soldiers don't know. They don't need to know. Please mom..."**

Lorinda stopped and considered what I said. She looked at me with worried eyes. I could tell that she wanted to go and tell someone, anyone. My mom was never the best at keeping secrets. I remembered her being so eager to tell everyone she knew when she found out I was a Ryttare, like her. But this was different. This secret could put me and my family in danger, but there was a chance I was overthinking it. I didn't know what this information would do to the rest of the tribe, or if it would have any effect at all. I just knew that it couldn't have been just chance that a Carnotaurus, a carnivore that ate humans, would spare my life not just once, but twice.

My mom stopped and turned around, looking me in my green eyes with her own light blue. **"I...I won't tell...but you need to tell _someone._ Find out what this means."**

 **"And who would know that? I don't want to take this to the Chief, he probably wouldn't care about this situation. **"****

 ** **"Don't be foolish Neida. Demarcus isn't a careless Chief, nor does he just blow off something like this. If you don't want to go to him then go to his wife. Her name is Merilda. She knows the most about dinosaurs and about the Ryttare. She might know what all of this means."****

Somehow that name sounded familiar, but I tried not to think about it. I gave her a hug, resting my head against her shoulder. I felt her rub the back of my head before we parted. When we did, I went back outside and saw Cicely and Daria laying on the ground, leaning on each other and dozing off. I wanted to move them, but I figured mom would eventually come out to get Cicely. I approached Azir and when he started to growl, I quieted him. I put my hands on his back and lightly put my knee against his side. He took the signal and turned his head back, lowering it so that I could give myself a push up onto his saddleless back. Once I was on I put both hands on the sides of his neck, looking down the hill towards where the land flattened out and the path led into the woods, leading to the center platform.

I leaned forward and clicked my tongue. He started walking down the hill, dull sunlight flaring across his scales and shining in both his eyes and my own. As we went down the hill I saw wooden doors on many houses closing and locking for the night. At this time I should be doing the same, going inside the house and getting ready to sleep. But instead I was going away from the house, going towards a part of the tribe that I hadn't ever been to before.

As we reached the bottom of the hill I looked towards the woods that the dirt path led into. I brought Azir to a stop, looking into the darkness. Somehow, despite the difference between the vast jungle that sat on either side of the tribe and the regular forest which separated the living areas of the tribe and the Obelisk, images of the dark jungle, orange eyes, and stomping feet filled my head. The small portion of forest that separated both sides of the tribe was short, yet it didn't have the same wooden spiked fences that surrounded the rest of the tribe. For all I knew, that Carno could be in that forest, waiting for me. I knew that the chance was slim of that really happening, but the day's events pushed me into a sort of paranoia.

I debated whether or not to continue. _It is turning night...anything could happen, no matter how short a walk it may or may not be. And by now the tribe is going to sleep, so Demarcus and Merilda are most likely asleep as well. I don't want to disturb them._

As I motioned for Azir to turn back around, I heard something clear its voice. I turned my head back slowly, looking towards where it had came from. I peered at the path coming from out of the forest to find a lady, a very old one, walking through the woods with a large cat walking next to her. I slightly turned myself on Azir's back to get a better view of the pair.

As I noted before, the lady was much older, though I couldn't have even tried to guess her age. Her hair was short, around shoulder length, and was pure white like the snow with a single strand of black hair pushed to the right side of her face. Her face was somewhat wrinkly, but it still seemed to show a kind of gentleness and calm. She was shorter than me but not by much and she held a stick in one hand, holding onto a curved end with her hand. Next to her walked a beast that I had seen once or twice before, but not very close. The large cat was a light fluorescent blue color with a darker, midnight blue mane, as well as piercing yellow eyes and two long fangs hanging down from its upper jaw that went passed its chin. Its long tail swayed behind it, every once in a while brushing across the lady's back. _A Sabertooth Tiger._

I watched the pair as they came to a stop at the edge of the forest. The lady didn't move, nor did the big cat, nor did me or Azir. I then saw the lady lift her head and her eyes locked onto me. My own eyes widened. Her eyes were a bright green color, almost neon, and seemed to glow in the growing darkness. Every second that I stared into them I felt like that woman was staring right through me and into my soul. It wasn't until I saw her hand move that I looked away from them. Her hand which had previously rested on the back of her big cat lifted and moved in front of her, turning her palm to the sky and motioning with her thin fingers for me to come to her, or follow her. I began to turn Azir around when both cat and woman also turned, walking in a different direction. But instead of walking back down the path, she turned to the right and started to walk into the woods, in the opposite direction that I had went when I went into the jungle. Afraid that creatures of the night might get to her, I clicked my tongue and Azir began to follow after the woman in a trot. When we got to where she was previously standing she was already out of sight. _For an old lady she's fast._

We went in the direction that she went, eventually seeing a light ahead of us. As we neared it, I realized that we were coming up to a large field, one that I had never seen or known was here. By the time we reached the edge of it I could no longer see the tribe or the path behind us, just forest. When we got to the field I found that there was a steep hill in front of me, blocking my path from seeing anything straight ahead. But I did glance up to see a tail flicking back and forth at the top of the hill, one of a cat. I tried to determine whether this was the same cat walking next to the lady or if it was a different cat. I decided to take my chances, urging Azir up the hill. As we ascended more of the cat came into view, as well as the lady. Both of them were facing away from me, though I wasn't sure what they were looking at. As we neared the peak of the hill I soon saw what they saw.

The top of the hill where the lady and cat stood then descended once again into a large valley, one full of so much flora that the tribe would have food for a very long time. There were also very many dinosaurs walking through it. Two small bands of Parasaurs, two Stegosaurus, two Ankylosaurus, more of the large turtles than I cared to count, the occasional Dilophosaurus stalking on herds of Dodos. I could even just barely see three Iguanadons off to the left where the valley ended and two large creatures I had never seen before, ones covered in feathers walking on two legs with bird-like beaks and claws so long that from where I stood looked like they could be as long as my arm off to the right. Then, directly in front of me was the sky, the ocean, and the beach. I could see a thin strip of pale sand separating the field from the ocean, which flowed waves back and forth along the sands. Even more than that, the bottom of the sun was only just now touching the line of the horizon, casting an orange, swiveled line of light along the surface of the water. Above us I could see Pterodons and what I think were Ichthyornis flying above our heads, circling one another and making light and soothing calls to one another. Never before had my eyes laid on a scene like this one. One that was so perfect and beautiful that I was mesmerized.

 **"Beautiful, isn't it?"** I heard the old lady's voice beside me. Her voice was somewhat jagged, but still calming and smooth nonetheless. I couldn't even say anything back. I was too focused on watching the landscape in front of me. All of my thoughts about my hunger, my thirst, the patrol, the Carnos, it all disappeared to the back of my mind. **"I come here almost every day to watch this exact scene. It calms me."**

I finally looked down at the old lady from my place on Azir's back. It wasn't until now that I realized that she had been staring at me. Her eyes and my own locked, unable to look away. The lady offered a kind and wise smile towards me, one that I wasn't quite sure how to respond to.

 **"I-If I may ask...who are you?"**

 **"Esmerilda. But all of the young call me Merilda."**

 _Merilda? This is the lady that mother wanted me to speak to! But what is she doing out here this late? And why did she make me follow her?_

 **"My mo-"**

 **"Your mother told you to go to the Obelisk and speak with me."**

My eyes widened. **"What? How did you kn-"**

 **"I know of everything that happens in this tribe. I also know everything that happens outside of it, "** she stated with a completely normal voice, giving me a slightly narrowed look.

I gave her my own questioning look. Somehow I didn't believe her. How could one person who doesn't even live around the whole tribe know what happens in it, or even out of it. She seemed to understand why I seemed puzzled, for her next words made be believe her.

 **"Yes. I know what happened to you earlier today, and I don't mean that half-story that you told to my husband's soldiers either."**

 _She knows...about the carnos, the soldiers, what happened..._

I didn't understand how. How could she know? She wasn't there! My eyes then went over to the Sabertooth standing next to her, watching the big cat turn its head and gaze at me as well. _Unless the Saber...no way, a dinosaur couldn't talk to a human. Even if the Saber was there when everything happened it couldn't have told her what it saw._

But then I started to realize something. This old lady had a Sabertooth cat, and not just any cat, but one that followed her and acted as though it were close to her. It helped her and supported her, similar to how Azir supported me. _Is she..._

 **"Are you a Ryttare?"**

 **"Indeed. This is Aurora. She is one of my companions."**

 **"One of? You mean you have more than one?"**

 **"These are questions that can be saved for a later date. For now I just want to tell you something."** She looked back towards the sunset, which was still going lower in the sky. **"What happened to you was not a coincidence. That Carnotaurus protecting you was not just by chance or tough luck, though I'm sure you've come to that conclusion by now."**

I wished I could agree with her, but I couldn't. I still tried to convince myself that it was just luck that had saved her. Maybe the Carno wasn't hungry and the other just made it mad? That had to be it. But at the same time, this lady that seemed to know everything said that it wasn't a coincidence. Everything she had said up until this point had been truthful in some sense, and there was no way her mother would send her to speak with a liar.

I looked back at the sunset and the valley. Down below two Dilophosaurs were eating the fallen body of a Dodo bird. The three Iguanadons were beginning to move more into the valley and the feathered creatures to the right were retreating into the forest. The meadow was beginning to settle for the night.

 **"We will speak more in time. I expect to see you tomorrow at this same spot. Understood?"**

Out of the corner of my vision I saw glowing green eyes look over to me. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell that her eyes were narrowed and she was expecting me to give her the answer that she wanted to hear.

I turned my gaze over to her, my green eyes locking with her own. **"Understood."**

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 _There you have it! 3rd chapter in! Once again, multiple chapters are coming out so close to each other because I have high muse for Ark at the moment, but that can change._

 _~ Anyway, shout out to DevoutRelic and 6f5e4d for commenting on my first two chapters and being fans of the story! I appreciate your comments! Also, 6f5e4d, there will indeed be more dinos than just the normal, as you can kind of tell by this one. This is only the start, so just wait for it :) ~_

 _Also! Quick heads up! For those who either plan to or already are someone who wants to read more chapters, it would be nice if some name suggestions are left in the comments. I'm sure you can guess why, but either way, sometimes it is difficult for me to come up with or look up names for different characters, human or otherwise. So if you want to suggest a name you may end up seeing it come up in a future chapter!_

 _Thanks for reading!_


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